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Two Proposed Constitutional Amendments Are on Illinois Ballot

The Illinois Senate has approved a pair of proposed amendments to the state’s Constitution.

The amendments, which address voter’s rights and crime victim’s rights, will now appear on the ballot Nov. 4 for voters to consider.

State Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago) sponsored the crime victims’ rights amendment and says it would ensure they have a say during court proceedings. “We can’t always stop violence or erase the pain we know that it causes to victims but we can make sure – at least today – that their dignity and respect is honored during the criminal justice process,” said Steans.

The voter rights amendment would add to the Illinois constitution that no one can be denied the right to vote based on race, ethnicity or sexual orientation – something State Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago) saw firsthand in Florida two years ago.

“My own mother who, in 2012, at 83 years old, had to wait five hours in line in the sun,” said Raoul.